1 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: Hey there, it's Jonathan Strickland, and I'm here to introduce 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: a playlist of ten episodes of my podcast tech Stuff 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: that are all about entertainment and entertainment related fields, from 4 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: video games to television series, two films to internet videos 5 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: from yesteryear. So I hope you guys enjoy these episodes. 6 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: You can go to the tech Stuff podcast page and 7 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: subscribe to listen to all sorts of episodes about tech 8 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 1: from all realms, and hopefully this will provide a little 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: bit of entertainment, a little bit of education, and probably 10 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: more than a few puns, because that's kind of how 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: I roll. Enjoy this playlist. Welcome to text Stuff, a 12 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 1: production from my Heart Radio. Hey there, and welcome to 13 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 1: tech Stuff. I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. I'm an executive 14 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,279 Speaker 1: producer with I Heart Radio, and I love all things 15 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: tech and one of the things I'm doing as I 16 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: am sequestering myself in my home is going through and 17 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: watching stuff, including of course, all the Star Wars lights 18 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: of Star Wars. So I thought it would be good 19 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: to replay this classic episode that published back in that 20 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: is all about how lightsabers work. Chris and I break 21 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 1: it down for you enjoy. So we're gonna start off 22 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: this podcast with a little listener tweet. This listener tweet 23 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: comes from Jacqueline Hyde, who says, I got a listener 24 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: request for you, how lightsabers work. The force is strong 25 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: with this one, So we are going to talk about lightsabers. 26 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: This is kind of an interesting subject and the sense 27 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: that really it belongs and stuff you missed in history 28 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 1: class because it did happen a long time ago. Any 29 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: galaxy far far away, yeah, um, or technically it could 30 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: be fans stuff, but they don't have a podcast. So 31 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,679 Speaker 1: we're gonna tackle it before anyone can grab it from 32 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: our cold dead paddawan hands. As the Jedi would say, 33 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: Niner naner, Yes, the Jedi would say that. So of 34 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: course we're talking about the civilized weapon from a or 35 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,679 Speaker 1: the elegant weapon from a more civilized age. The light 36 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: Saber as introduced to us through George Lucas's brilliant work 37 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: Star Wars A New Hope Um or just Star Wars. 38 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: When it first came out in n it was not 39 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: American graffiti as many people think. No, no, there was 40 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: no cameo of the lightsaber in American graffiti. Although that 41 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: would have made that movie that much more awesome. So lightsabers, 42 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: of course, this is the weapon the Jedi used, the 43 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: the magic sword of the Star Wars series. And in fact, 44 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: when uh, most of the interviews I've seen with Lucas, 45 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: he just refers to it as a magic sword. You know, 46 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: I just said, it's that's what the purpose of it is. 47 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: It's just it happens to be called a lightsaber, but 48 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: it's a magic sword. So the problem with magic is 49 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: that there's not a whole lot to how it works 50 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: other than magic. You know, you're you're just totally getting 51 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: into that early. I thought we were going to go 52 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: ahead and talk about how it works, all right, Well, 53 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: this has not stopped people from telling us how it works, 54 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: despite the fact that it's magic. So let's talk. There 55 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: are people who will argue exactly how this works. It's not. 56 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, we have an article on 57 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: how it works. It's not cannon, and cannon is important 58 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: to me. But then again, you know what is canon 59 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: jar binks. So let's just move on into how lightsabers work. 60 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: So a lightsaber is made up of several different parts. 61 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: You've got the handle, which is pretty much where everything 62 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 1: is right. Yeah, so the handle has at the base 63 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: of the hand. You've got the power cell and it's 64 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: a it was it diecium, Yes, the diecium crystal. All right, 65 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: So you've got the diection power cell that's in the base. 66 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: That's fine. You know what if they correct us, if 67 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: they take that time, more power to them. Uh diaction 68 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: power cell is in the middle of a power of 69 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: vortex ring and a power field conductor. Now where does 70 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: all this power go? You've you're generated. That's essentially like 71 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: the battery of the lightsaber. That's the very base. So 72 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: and it's got a lot of energy stored in it, 73 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: lots and lots of energy. Now where does this energy 74 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 1: go once it starts to emit from the power cell? 75 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 1: It goes into the crystal energy chamber, right where you 76 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: have your primary crystal. Now, depending on whom you ask, 77 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: this crystal may or may not determine the color of 78 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: the lightsabers blade. Yes, Now, some would argue that the 79 00:04:55,720 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 1: real determiner for the lightsaber color is lies with the 80 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: Jedi him or herself and the force that that Jedi 81 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: abuse the crystal. So in that case, you could have 82 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: any crystal and essentially have a lightsaber of any color. 83 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: It would all be up to the individual Jedi. Others 84 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: would argue, nay, tis not so. The lightsaber color is 85 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: dependent entirely upon the color of the crystal you select 86 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 1: to focus this power. Um, I'm gonna go with that one, okay, 87 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: So you know, of course, we we also need to 88 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 1: talk about how Jedi lightsabers are different from Sith lightsabers 89 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: because they are, yes, they are so. The crystals that 90 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 1: Jedi use tend to be natural crystals. They're crystals found 91 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 1: in caves throughout the galaxy. Um. And so these crystals 92 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 1: are they can take the power and create the the 93 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: the force of the I guess the actual lightsaber blade. 94 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: It's the best way of putting it. Um. And the 95 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 1: Sith what they do is they'll they'll make a they'll 96 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: make their own crystals, they'll create a forge, and they'll 97 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 1: build a synthetic crystal. And there's tend to be red, yes, 98 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: which is why you see Sith while like like Darth 99 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: Maul or Darth Vader or Darth Tyrannis walking around with 100 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: a big old red lightsaber, whereas Jedi they tend to 101 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:22,359 Speaker 1: stick with blue and green, although other colors are also available. Yes, 102 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: so there are more that, but there are there are 103 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: more than one crystal though the primary crystal is uh 104 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: is just one part of that. There are second there 105 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 1: are secondary and smaller crystals. And it sort of depends 106 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 1: on the Jedi who builds the lightsaber, because the lightsaber 107 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: is Creating a lightsaber is part of becoming a Jedi. Yes, 108 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: it's actually the final step of Jedi training. According to 109 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,600 Speaker 1: a Darth Vader, yes so. But but what the additional 110 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: crystals do is they actually help focus the energy into 111 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 1: a blade form, right right, So, the energy coming from 112 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: the power cell, once it passes through the crystal, that's 113 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: what gives it the the destructive for that we see 114 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: from lightsabers. The other crystals focus that into the blade 115 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: um and depending also on upon whom you ask, they 116 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: may also give the the lightsaber other certain powers, like 117 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: it may enhance certain certain aspects of the lightsaber. For example, 118 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: we know that lightsabers can deflect blaster fire. Some of 119 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:26,679 Speaker 1: these crystals are apparently more effective at deflecting blaster fire 120 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: than others, and others may be better at cutting through 121 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: certain kinds of material. So uh Now, other other scholars 122 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: will argue that's not the case. The just focuses the blade, 123 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: doesn't imbue it with any other powers. Um. Personally, I 124 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: haven't had my hands on the lightsaber in a really 125 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: long time, so it's kind of hard for me to 126 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: tell you exactly what what which ones are right. And 127 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: also I have only ever really used one, so with 128 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: that small sample size, it's impossible to say yes. And 129 00:07:57,320 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: and it's probably a good time to point out that 130 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: if you do have the opportunity to use lights remember 131 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: it's it's not the kind of thing that you just 132 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: want to play around with, because it can be a 133 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: very very dangerous weapon. It turns out serious damage and 134 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: when you can cut through, you know, a foot of 135 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: steel that it's not the best thing to you know, 136 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: swatterfly with no um. After it goes through the christ 137 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: the focusing crystal, it passes through the blade energy channel again, 138 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: further refines the blade and directs it into a straight 139 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: line that would emerge from the hilt um. And then 140 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: at the very top of your blade, you've got your 141 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 1: your cycling field energizer's your energy modulation circuits, uh, and 142 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 1: then you've got your your controls. Your controls adjust the 143 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: power of the blade, and it also adjust the length 144 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: of the blade. So even though we normally see lightsabers 145 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: used at at a pretty standard length, most people have 146 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,560 Speaker 1: it at a whenever they turn on their lightsaber, it's 147 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: pretty much the same length each time. Technically you can 148 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,199 Speaker 1: adjust that so you can make it longer or shorter 149 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: using the blade length adjustment. UM. And then there's a 150 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: magnetic magnetic stabilizing ring and a blade shroud emitter UM 151 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: at the very top which helped control the blade so 152 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: it doesn't just zap out when you turn it on. UM. 153 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: That's your basic anatomy of your lightsaber hilt, all right, 154 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,199 Speaker 1: and then the worst Then there's the activation matrix, which 155 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: is the Star Wars term for the on switch. I 156 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: just I love that part. They're the handle is about 157 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: thirty centimeters in length, so they're not ridiculously long, right, um, 158 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: which is good to know. It generates an arc wave 159 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 1: energy field, and this is why the blades actually have 160 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: a stopping point. Yes, and it has it. It produces 161 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: sort of a gyroscopic effect to which is why you 162 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 1: have to be very careful with it because it you know, 163 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: it has it has a pull to it if you will, right, 164 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: But that also makes it easier to use, because otherwise 165 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: it would be like swinging a flashlight around. There'd be 166 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: no feedback from swinging the handle, and it would make 167 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: it much more difficult to master a lightsaber if you 168 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: didn't have that gyroscopic effect when you started swinging it around. 169 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:15,359 Speaker 1: Chris and I will have more to say about lightsabers 170 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: in just a second, but the force is calling and 171 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: we must take a quick break. So the blade arc tip, 172 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 1: that's the very end of the lightsaber um, and it's 173 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: it's the arcommitter is what's keeping it from becoming like 174 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: a blaster. Actually, lightsabers pre date blasters um before it 175 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: was a more civilized after all, as it was, and 176 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: you know, I guess civilized means that you loved each 177 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: other's limbs off, as opposed to shooting each other from 178 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 1: very far away. Uh. Never never bring a lightsaber to 179 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: a blaster fight. Oh wait, no, you could do that. 180 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 1: Yeah you can't do that because yeah, all right, so 181 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: let's just talk about about that's us the basics of 182 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: building your lightsaber um. Now, each Jedi builds his or 183 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: her own lightsaber as part of their training. Uh, and 184 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: they're gonna build it according to their own particular fighting style. 185 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,319 Speaker 1: Now do you have you heard about the different Jedi 186 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 1: fighting styles? No? I haven't. There are seven major forms 187 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:25,719 Speaker 1: of lightsaber styles. Yes, okay, well why don't you. I 188 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:27,959 Speaker 1: wanted to tell this all right, I'm gonna go into 189 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: a little detail, but I mean, I'm just gonna do 190 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 1: this as a pretty high level thing. We don't need 191 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: to get into depth. No, this isn't Jedi fighting style stuff. 192 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 1: You know. That's right. Yeah, that's another podcast that we're 193 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: starting next month. You'll start requesting now. Um, next month 194 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: being April. I can't imagine when the first episode will 195 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: come out. So so the the fighting styles that you 196 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 1: can think of it kind of like martial arts styles. Um, 197 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:53,679 Speaker 1: you know, not all martial arts styles are alike. Cut 198 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,079 Speaker 1: on day is very different from jiu jitsu, which is 199 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 1: very different from a keto, which in turn is different 200 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:03,199 Speaker 1: from hap keto. Um, there is their drunk Jedi style. No, 201 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: there's no drunken master Jedi style, although I hear Yoda 202 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:07,719 Speaker 1: can get up to some y he shenanigans on a 203 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: Saturday night. Uh. The seven forms of lightsaber combat are 204 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:15,079 Speaker 1: actually listed as you know, Form one, Form two, Form three, 205 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 1: They each have their own names, but I'm not even 206 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: gonna try and pronounce them because they're all alien and 207 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: I don't have the capability. I don't actually know what 208 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 1: the pronunciation is for most of them. But if you 209 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: hadn't spilled your mini chlorine, you'd be fine, I know. 210 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: In general, Form one is the foundation. It is the 211 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,679 Speaker 1: basic form of lightsaber combat. It's your basic strikes, your 212 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 1: basic defenses. Um. It teaches you how to view the 213 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: body as a series of targets, like you think of you. 214 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,320 Speaker 1: You divide up the body like the heads a certain 215 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 1: uh certain target, the arms, the torso, and you know, 216 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: attacks are very specific to each target. You know, different 217 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:56,679 Speaker 1: slashing techniques and hacking techniques. So Form one is kind 218 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: of lightsaber combat one oh one, everyone pretty much through that. 219 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 1: Form two is dueling. Now, this lightsaber combat really concentrates 220 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: on finesse, blade control, footwork. This is the kind of 221 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: of style that cal Dooku slash Darth Tarrannis used. Yes, now, 222 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: that is why his lightsaber handle actually has a curve 223 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: at the end of it. It's so that he can 224 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:23,959 Speaker 1: hold it kind of like a pistol grip. Gives him 225 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: a lot of control over the tip of the blade, 226 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: and that's just his style of dueling. Now, this was 227 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: much more popular before blasters came out because it was 228 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: just really meant for lightsaber to lightsaber combat. Once blasters 229 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 1: came out, people Jedi began to realize that the in 230 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: order to deflect these these blaster bolts, they would need 231 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,839 Speaker 1: to adapt their fighting style. This is not the best 232 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: style to use if you're being shot at by stormtroopers, 233 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: for example. So, uh, but that was tarrannis is favorite form. 234 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: Then there's four three, which is defensive where you are 235 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: trying to feel the least amount of target space on 236 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: your body. So it's really good for defending against blasters 237 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 1: that kind of thing. Form four is an acrobatic style, 238 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: lots of flips and spins. You're using the force to 239 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: boost your your physical abilities, so you're you're depending more 240 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 1: on uh, these acrobatics than on your blade at that point. 241 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: So Yoda uses that a lot. Um if you've seen 242 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: him fight Count Dooku, he's like a little queens and art. 243 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: And then uh, Form five that uses the deflective nature 244 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: of the lightsaber to reflect blaster fire. Um, you you 245 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: use use strengthen your attacks. So it's a more brute 246 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: force kind of of approach. This is the style favored 247 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: by a certain Skywalker family. Both Anakin and Luke used 248 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: Form five. Form six combines elements of Forms one through five, um, 249 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: but it also teaches that you should be detached from emotion. 250 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: You should be using very calculating ways of of moving. 251 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: You shouldn't let your emotions dictate what you're doing. Form 252 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: seven is kind of the opposite. That's leveraging your emotion 253 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 1: into power and using that to fight your opponents. This 254 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: was what Darth maul Uh used with some reliance on 255 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: on on Form H four as well, the acrobatic style. Now, 256 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: of course he had a double bladed lightsaber. Yeah, and 257 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: those don't work all that differently than a regular lightsaber. 258 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: They're just basically two lightsabers attached together at the hilt. Right, 259 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: So there's there's four crystals instead of two or a 260 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: minimum of four, because you have to have for you know, 261 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: two of the generator type and two of the focusing 262 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: type at minimum in order to create the two blades. 263 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: By the way, those focusing crystals are usually add again 264 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: crystals usually, but you can also find them on Dantweine 265 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 1: as well as many many other uh planets within the 266 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: Star Wars galaxy. Yes, until Center Star comes after you 267 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: and you know calls you a coward. Right, I'm sorry, 268 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: I switched. Okay, you lost me? You lost me? Seriously, 269 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: you never played SENTI Star, I rarely played anyway. Also, 270 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: um depending, uh way, way way way back in the past, 271 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: back when the Jedi we were um much more numerous. 272 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: The color of your blade also would indicate what what 273 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: kind of Jedi you were. For example, if you had 274 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: a blue blade, that signified that you were a Jedi guardian, 275 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: and so you're much more you know, kind of a 276 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: physical you would get into the fights, you would you know, 277 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: defend people with your your prowess. Uh. Green would suggest 278 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: that you were a Jedi consular, and this would be 279 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: someone who was much more thoughtful, kind of contemplative. And 280 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 1: then um, yellow would indicate that you're a Jedi Sentinel. 281 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: And that's someone who kind of was in between the 282 00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: other two. So so not as physical as the guardians, 283 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: but not as brainy as the others either. So yellow 284 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: and blue, dummate green, this is true. I learned that somewhere. 285 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: So should we go into the other aspect of lightsabers. 286 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,120 Speaker 1: So you mean we're actually gonna step outside of the 287 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 1: realm of Star Wars just looking at the time and 288 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: thinking that maybe we should do that. That's pretty good idea, 289 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 1: all right, So that's within the Star Wars universe, of course, 290 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,639 Speaker 1: that's how they supposedly work. And I should also add 291 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: none of that is cannon. And when I say cannon, 292 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,959 Speaker 1: I'm talking about the stuff that Lucas himself has signed 293 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: off on as saying, yes, this is officially part of 294 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 1: the Star Wars history. Um, most of that is just 295 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: the movies. Um. To some extent, you could argue the 296 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: books as well. Some of those Lucas has more or 297 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,400 Speaker 1: less said, yeah, even though that didn't appear in the movie, 298 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: that is cannon as well. But he never goes into 299 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: explaining the blades in the movies. And so this is 300 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: really other people trying to um rhet coon really to 301 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: explain why the stuff works. Yeah, um yeah, basically, and 302 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: if you're unfamiliar with the term in cannon is uh 303 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 1: like basically, they're written instructions for how a magical or 304 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: you know, fantasy or science fiction universe operates. It kind 305 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: of helps you write the stories and the Star Wars, 306 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: Cannon sort of came about after some of the stories 307 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: had already been in practice, so it's a little looser 308 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 1: than some of the other universe. So if you were 309 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,159 Speaker 1: to read some of the comic books or some of 310 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: the other books that have been written in the Star 311 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 1: Wars universe, you might notice that they sometimes contradict what 312 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: happened in later movies, and that's because they're not Cannon, 313 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 1: all right. So moving on to how they actually created 314 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 1: this effect, which is really which is really fascinating too, 315 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: I think right now now, First of all, in a 316 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 1: New Hope, the first film, they hadn't originally considered animating 317 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: or adding any light to these at all. The original 318 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:52,120 Speaker 1: idea was that the lightsabers were going to have There 319 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: were these these uh I think it was three sided 320 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 1: three sided poll that came out kind of a triangular 321 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:03,120 Speaker 1: poll on each side was was coated with a very 322 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 1: reflective material, and they used a lamp that was on 323 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: the same side as the camera and focus the light 324 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: so that it would reflect off of it be really shiny, 325 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: and there was a motor inside the handle that would 326 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,679 Speaker 1: direct the side to be aligned properly for the camera. 327 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: But the effect was not as a zippy as Lucas wanted. 328 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: So um, they started to cast about and see if 329 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 1: they could find some other way of making this magic 330 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:32,719 Speaker 1: sword seem really magical, and they contacted an animator by 331 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 1: the name of Nelson Shin. Nelson Shin took a week 332 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: and looked at this footage that had been shot and 333 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 1: used an effect called rhodoscoping. The the technique and animation 334 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 1: technique is actually very old technique. A lot of people 335 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: and myself, including associated with AHAs take on me video. 336 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:58,119 Speaker 1: I associate with Ralph Box She's um Lord of the 337 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 1: Rings movie. Yeah. Also Wizards was another movie he used 338 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: it in. But it's it's where you take live action 339 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,399 Speaker 1: footage and then you overlay animation on top of it, 340 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:12,439 Speaker 1: sometimes replacing the live action footage entirely, sometimes enhancing it, 341 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: and in this case it was enhancing it. So what 342 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 1: he did was he used animation cells to create this 343 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: this glowing blade effect on top of the actual physical 344 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:27,000 Speaker 1: rods that were in the shots, and then uh using 345 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:31,679 Speaker 1: you know, synchronizing the cells that he had created with 346 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 1: the actual film, overlaying the animated effect on it, creating 347 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: a new print that combined these two individual prints and 348 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: that's how you you know, he sent that back to 349 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 1: Lucas and said, well, here you can try this and 350 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: see if this works. Lucas liked it. Um, they decided 351 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:49,680 Speaker 1: to go with that approach. They refined it a little bit. 352 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: They added some color so you had different color blades 353 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 1: because originally they were both white and uh. And that 354 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,159 Speaker 1: was the beginning of the lightsaber effect. We have a 355 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: little bit more to say about lightsabers, but before we 356 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 1: get to that, we're going to take another quick break. Now. 357 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: In the first three films, which episodes four or five 358 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: and six, UM, they use the rotoscoping technique where they 359 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 1: would essentially hand draw these things on cells. Um. Basically, 360 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: what they do is they put that cell over the 361 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: original film and color it in and then but that's 362 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 1: not but that's not all of it, because that does 363 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 1: add some color to it. But from from there they 364 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,439 Speaker 1: have to shoot more film with the cell and the 365 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: original and when they do that, they shoot it over 366 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:46,920 Speaker 1: a black background and use a light diffuser over the lens. Yes, 367 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,440 Speaker 1: they double exposed the shots, and that that makes them 368 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,639 Speaker 1: really pop, That make that makes them look sort of 369 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 1: you know, gives them that sort of otherworldly effect. You 370 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,359 Speaker 1: know how bright they are in the shots. Sou and 371 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:01,680 Speaker 1: a sophisticated when you think about it, but very very 372 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 1: time consuming, right, Yes, it took took a really long time. 373 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,360 Speaker 1: It took slightly less time by the time they got 374 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 1: around to the prequels episodes one, two, and three, because 375 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: they could do it all digitally, But somebody still has 376 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 1: to go into the computer and you're doing it. You're 377 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:18,879 Speaker 1: doing it all in computer as opposed to doing it 378 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:23,160 Speaker 1: on hand handmade cells. Um. So, I mean it still 379 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:26,119 Speaker 1: takes time, it's just not quite as time consuming, except 380 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:28,439 Speaker 1: for the fact that Lucas decided to throw in about 381 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: I don't know ten times as many lightsaber battles in 382 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 1: those first three movies as the original trilogy combined. Um. 383 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 1: The the actual hilts of the lightsabers were made up 384 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: of old camera flash battery packs and other odds and ends, 385 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:48,439 Speaker 1: like stuff from hardware stores like plumbing um gaskets and 386 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:52,880 Speaker 1: things like that. Now, they shot these movies in England, 387 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: so they were raiding various British hardware shops. So a 388 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: lot of the materials that they used to build the 389 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,159 Speaker 1: the light superhandles are very hard to find or sometimes 390 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: impossible to find in the United States, which is why 391 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,919 Speaker 1: it's kind of challenging to create a model of those 392 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: those first Again, this is for the first trilogy four 393 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 1: or five and six. Um, it's hard to make those 394 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 1: faithfully just because it's hard to get those parts in 395 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 1: the United States. Um. Now for episodes one, two, and three, 396 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,880 Speaker 1: those were all machined and so there's all like routed. 397 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:27,680 Speaker 1: They designed them in a computer and then and then 398 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 1: made use a router to cut custom parts and then 399 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: assemble them. So it wasn't like they were just grabbing 400 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 1: whatever they could find and and sticking it together. Um, 401 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:38,679 Speaker 1: they came up with the concept and artists came up 402 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: with the concept, and then they built it from scratch. 403 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 1: That was actually one of my questions, like where the 404 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: Jedi going to machine these parts? And you know, do 405 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:54,679 Speaker 1: they is electrical engineering part of their training. It's ral Tandriaandria. 406 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:59,640 Speaker 1: It's in the CAD system and yeah, very very nice. 407 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: A lot a lot of rascals and the CAD system. 408 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 1: As it turns out, I think Han Solo actually spent 409 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,680 Speaker 1: a lot of time in the CADS system. Very nice. 410 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,359 Speaker 1: You know. It's funny because when I started doing the 411 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: two of these, the two pieces of this, the fantasy 412 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 1: part and the you know, special effect. How do they 413 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: make it happen? I started thinking about that way, So 414 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: who's actually making these, you know, because each one is different. 415 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: Well that's one of the things too that uh um, 416 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 1: and I think is at least somewhat cannon, is that 417 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: it's all sort of individualized, you know, to the Jedi. 418 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: So I'm wondering if you know, they have to go 419 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: down to the shop, you know, on the thirty fourth 420 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,440 Speaker 1: floor and go, yeah, I need can you make the 421 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: sort of the the arc tip sort of in this shape? No, no, no, 422 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 1: not exactly like that. Yeah, yeah, uh, you know it. 423 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: It's kind of sad because when I look at the 424 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: props from the first trilogy, those look like things that 425 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: have really lived in that universe for a really long time. 426 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: I mean, the ships are all beat up, and even 427 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:00,639 Speaker 1: the Jedi, uh, the Jedi are beat up. The jedire 428 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 1: beat up pretty bad. But no, even the lightsabers look 429 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,160 Speaker 1: like they've been well used. Whereas the if you look 430 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:10,880 Speaker 1: at the prequels, everything looks like brand new and sparkly, 431 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 1: and it's just a little it doesn't feel to me 432 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 1: it almost feels like it's two different universes. Well, you 433 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 1: know they are like thirty years apart, and on thirty years. 434 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: Come on, do you really want to go down this 435 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: road because recording for like twenty four minutes, I'm not 436 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: gonna go for another fifty probably conservative that would be 437 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 1: only because I'd have to stop and get a break 438 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 1: to drink something. So let's we So we talked about 439 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 1: the fact that you know, rotoscoping, either digitally or by hand, 440 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:45,640 Speaker 1: that replacing frame by frame. These these rods, the physical 441 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: things that were in the shot, and you needed the 442 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,280 Speaker 1: physical rods because you needed to be able to make 443 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:53,160 Speaker 1: contact when you're doing lightsaber battles right now. I think 444 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: that's a good point. The handles that they use in 445 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,159 Speaker 1: the movies right now are you know, plastic handles with 446 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 1: aluminum rods and there they're basically cylindrical and colored red, 447 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: blue or green. They actually had to wrap the the 448 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: aluminum rods in construction paper because they were giving off 449 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: too much dust when they were colliding during the lightsaber battles. 450 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: The original trilogy used I think wooden dowls. I don't 451 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: think they used aluminum, at least not in the first film. Yeah, 452 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: I would imagine that would be a little hard on 453 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: your wrists too, because they're actually, you know, having a 454 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: sword fight with aluminum rods. And yeah, now laurds are 455 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,239 Speaker 1: are thinner than what you see on the screen. Um, 456 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,200 Speaker 1: they're not as they're not as thick as as the 457 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 1: lightsaber blade appears to be. But yeah, they need that 458 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: so that they can do these moves and and make 459 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,960 Speaker 1: it look convincing. Otherwise you would have lightsabers passing through 460 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: one another and that would just not look right. So um, 461 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: so there is a physical object there that you are 462 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:50,879 Speaker 1: are concealing with the the overlay, and um, before we 463 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 1: get into how you can do this yourself, I wanted 464 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:55,679 Speaker 1: to talk a little bit about the sound effects. Okay, 465 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,640 Speaker 1: sure they were designed by Ben Burt, who was He's 466 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 1: a brilliant sound as miner um. Sound designers are. I 467 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: think of them kind of like a very specific type 468 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: of engineer. Sound designers are the kind of people who 469 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,439 Speaker 1: can walk into a room and just take a second 470 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 1: and think of a billion different ways to use the 471 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 1: sounds that are naturally occurring in that room. Most of 472 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: us we walk into a room, we'll hear a noise, 473 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 1: and then within a second we are already ignoring it. 474 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:23,359 Speaker 1: It's just been incorporated into what we think of as 475 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 1: the background. But if you ever take a moment and 476 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,359 Speaker 1: really listen to your environment, you start to pick things 477 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,200 Speaker 1: out as as they happen. Well, he's one of those 478 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: guys who can hear a noise and immediately say, hey, uh, 479 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 1: this would be great for blah blah blah. And when 480 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:39,760 Speaker 1: he was tasked with finding a noise for the lightsaber, 481 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: he actually says this was the first sound he designed 482 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 1: for Star Wars was the noise of the lightsaber. And 483 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,960 Speaker 1: he did it with a combination of two noises. One 484 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 1: was from an old projector. Uh, there was an old 485 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: projector that would made this humming noise as it ran. 486 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:58,359 Speaker 1: And if you ran two of those projectors, you've got 487 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,640 Speaker 1: a good little harmonizing effect with the hum And that's 488 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 1: so that formed the basis of the wow when you 489 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:09,439 Speaker 1: fire up your lightsaber. Um. The second was noise that 490 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 1: you would get if you ran a microphone near a television. 491 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: It would be this buzzing noise sort of feedback. Yes, 492 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: that that gives it the kind of little crackle sound 493 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: that you also hear. That's just sort of uh, kind 494 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:27,200 Speaker 1: of a light sound underneath the thrumb. And then whenever 495 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: someone would wave a lightsaber, well you have to create 496 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: the wow noise. The way he did that was he 497 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 1: would move a microphone past a speaker that was playing that. Um, 498 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: the the the humming noise, and the Doppler effect would 499 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: take care of the rest. So you're just moving a 500 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 1: microphone around a speaker and then it's translates into the 501 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 1: womb womb when you're waving your lightsaber round. UM. Absolutely brilliant. 502 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 1: One of the uh you know, there's there was no 503 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,959 Speaker 1: going into a a synthesizer or going into a studio 504 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: trying to create this sound from scratch. He just found 505 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: a practical way of creating it and uh and it's 506 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: one of those things that is forever married with the 507 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: Star Wars universe. You hear that sound, you know immediately 508 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,600 Speaker 1: what you're listening to. Now, let's say you want to 509 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 1: do this yourself. It's quite possible. Well, you have to 510 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: spend all that fuel getting to the other star system. 511 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,360 Speaker 1: You know, I don't mean building a real one, I 512 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: mean like creating the effect in a video. Okay, so uh, 513 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: you can do this yourself with the right kind of software. 514 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: And uh, there are a lot of different video editing 515 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: suites out there that have the effects that you would 516 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 1: need in order to create a lightsaber Effectum, most of 517 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: them are like things like Adobe has several There's even 518 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 1: a tool that's called l S Maker, which allows you 519 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: to create a lightsaber effect pretty easily. In fact, all 520 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: you have to do is do two clicks and you 521 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 1: create the basis of a lightsaber effect for a single 522 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 1: frame of video, and then you can go in and 523 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: tweak the effects so that it looks exact the way 524 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 1: you wanted to. But again, you have to do this 525 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 1: frame by frame, so it's not like you do two 526 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 1: clicks and it magically turns something into a lightsaber. You 527 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,960 Speaker 1: actually have to go through each frame and replace the 528 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: physical object with the lightsaber representation. And we refre it 529 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: to work properly. Yes, but YouTube is filled with people 530 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 1: who have done this successfully. Yes, yes, and some not 531 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: so successful. Some of them are pretty awful. But uh, 532 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 1: the same effect. You can use the same sort of 533 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 1: technology to create other effects besides the lightsaber effect. It's 534 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: just that's one of those that is pretty easy to 535 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: to apply because really you're talking about a straight line. Uh, 536 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,480 Speaker 1: it's not that complicated. Um. It is time consuming though. 537 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 1: It can take hours and hours and hours to render 538 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 1: a video that would only last maybe thirty seconds, especially 539 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: if you have multiple blades on there. That can because 540 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:56,719 Speaker 1: each blade is going to require a different layer in 541 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 1: your video, you know. So you're gonna if you have 542 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: like six Jedi out there and they all have lightsabers 543 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: at six layers of video right there in order for 544 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 1: you to have all the effects come together properly. And 545 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: then if you know, they clashed and you have to 546 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: add the sparks and and you have to and it's 547 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 1: it can be challenging. I mean it's it's not it's 548 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 1: not something that you're gonna be able to whip out 549 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,120 Speaker 1: in an hour. It's gonna take a while, but it's 550 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: it's doable. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode about lightsabers. 551 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 1: If you want to reach out to me, maybe you've 552 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:31,239 Speaker 1: got a suggestion for future episode, or maybe you just 553 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: have a question, or maybe you've got a comment, then 554 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 1: do so on Facebook or Twitter. The handle for both 555 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: of those is text stuff H s W and I'll 556 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:47,720 Speaker 1: talk to you again really soon. Y text Stuff is 557 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: an I heart Radio production. For more podcasts from my 558 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 559 00:31:54,720 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Two